Meat-cutter.



No. 783,886. PATENTED FEB. 28. 1905.

A. W. JOHNSON.

MEAT GUTTER.

PPPPP oATIoN FILED JUNI: 29. 190s.

I Illllll i 4*' A #OHNE ys.

No. 783,836. PATBNTED FEB.28,1905.

A. W. JOHNSON.

MEAT GUTTER.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 29. 190s.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W/TNESSES: /NVENTOH No. 783,836. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. A. W. JOHNSON.

MEAT GUTTER.

APPLIOATION FILED .TUNE 29. 1903.

a SHEETS-SHEET a.

.umn u w )zum/4% A NORA/E ys.

liinfrrn STATES Patented February' 28, 1905.

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MEATWUTTEH..

SPECFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 783,836, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed June 29, 1903. Serial No. 168,520.

To all 71171/0111, zit Titrty/ concern:

Be it known that I, Amann NV. JonNsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Brunswick, in .the county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and improved Meat-Cutter, of which the followingl is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in meat-cutters of that class especially intended for slicing smoked beef, said class of cutters contemplating the employment of a troughshaped bed, a swinging' knife-frame which carries a knife-blade, a feed-screw, and a follower actuated by said screw.

Among other objects my invention has in view the provision of an improved knife-blade which can be easily and quickly sharpened and is mounted for movement in a way to avoid rubbing or wearing against the cheeks or end of the bed", to provide means for guiding the knife-frame and for adjusting' said knifeframe, to the end that the knife will eut slices of meat ot the required thickness; to provide means for arresting the swing of the knife- Aframe with minimum jar and shock on the machine. as well as to reduce the wear on the cooperating' parts of the bumpers; te provide an improved form of bed by which the charge of meat is prevented Vfrom rising or slipping out of place while being' cut; to produce a new style of Yfollower which cannot be lifted accidentally out of its operative position, and to provide novel means for clamping an adjustable meat-claw to said follower.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description, and the novelty will be delined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, Vforming a part of this speciiieation, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

'Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in horizontal section, of a meat-cutter constructedin accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation looking at the end frame or faceplate and the swinging' knife-frame which is equipped with the knife or blade. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken long'itudinally through an end portion of the machine, one side of the trough-shaped bed being' in elevation and the knife-frame being shown in vertical section. Fig. 4t is a cross-section in the plane of the dotted line fl a of Fig. 1,. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation showing one of the rollers for guiding' the swinging knife-frame and the means whereby said roller may be adjusted, and Fig'. e is a detail sectional elevation of the adjustable claw and means for clamping' said claw to variable positions on a screw-actuated follower. Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section showing one embodiment of the inmrovement `for drawing the swinging knife-frame toward the end face of the bed.

The improved meat-cutter of the present invention is similar in its general construction to devices ordinary .in the art. The machine contemplates the employment of a bed 5, having its sides disposed in synclinal order and producing' the trough-shaped bed substantially as represented by Fig. Ll. lo one end of this bed is applied a vertical end 'frame (E, which is 'furnished with an upstanding bracket or post 7, the latter supporting a horizontal pivotal bolt 8. on which is hung a swinging knifeframe S). llhe bed and the upright end frame 6 are furnished with suitable bearings for the reception of a horizontal Yfeed-screw i0, which is equipped at one end with a ratchet-wheei 11, that is adapted to be rotated with a stepby-step movement by any suitable form of transmitting mechanism, the latter being operated by the back-amil-forth swinging movements of the knife-frame S). 'lhis transmitting i'nechanism is similar to devices well known to those skilled in the art, and ldo not consider it necessary to further illustrate and describe the same.

The swinging knife-frame is provided with a knife-recess 12, which is adapted to receive the rear edge or heel of a knife-blade. One of the objections to the ordinary meat-cutter of this class is the liability of the blade after very little use to acquire a beveled shoulder more prominent than the cutting edge, said blade er knife being' difficult to keep in order and involvingl wnsiderable labor in sharpening the edge afterV it becomes dull through use. To cut smoked beef smoothly, it is necessary that the cutting edge shall be the most prominent part of the knife or blade, and in IDO web, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2 of the draw- .are arranged to ride or travel against the the case of an ordinary fiat blade worn with use a beveled shoulder is produced that tends to press the yielding meat away from the path of the cutting edge, and clean smooth cutting is impossible until the edge is fully restored by laborious grinding to its normal prominence. One purpose of the present invention is to overcome this objection, and to this end I employ a knife or blade 13, which is offset or deflected laterally from the plane of the blade, as indicated by the inc-lined portion 14 in Fig. 3. The offset portion may be produced by dishing the operative edge of the knife or blade in curved or inclined lines, and the free edge of the offset or dished portion is beveled to a cutting edge 15, the offset portion of the blade presenting a tapering portion of thin cross-section, which may be kept in a sharpened condition with a minimum amount of time and labor. The cutting edge presents a sharp prominence on the blade, which when impaired can be readily restored to a good serviceable condition with very little labor, time, and trouble, because a hone or stone can be rubbed a few times over the edge of the blade for sharpening the latter. rIhe edge of thin cross-section presents very little metal which requires to be honed or ground od, and the improved knife can be easily and quickly sharpened in a few moments7 time and by unskilled labor.

Another improvement which I have made consists in means for accurately guiding the knife-frame in its swinging movements and operating to prevent any lateral displacement of said knife-frame, which would tend to allow the keen or sharpened edge of the knifeblade to rub or wear against the end ,portions or cheeks of the bed 5 or the vertical end frame 6 of the machine.

The end frame is provided with a track-surface 16, which may be made in a separate piece of metal and attached to the front exposed face of said end frame. I prefer, however, to cast this track-surface as an integral part of the frame 6 and in the form of a rib or ings. This track-surface is curved longitudinally in an arc concentric with the axis of motion of the swinging knife-frame 9, and said knife-frame is provided with shoes which track surface or web 16, said shoes and the surface being accurately constructed to secure the desired movement of the swinging knifeframe in a plane which will prevent the sharpened edge of the knife or blade 13 from wearing against any part of the machine.

In Fig'. 5 of the drawings I have shown one embodiment of the track-shoe, the sanne consisting of a roller 17. This roller has an axle 18 loosely mounted in a fork 19 of an adjustable stem 20, the latter passing freely through an opening 21, which is provided in the knifeframe 9. The stem or shank 20 of the rollerl shoe is provided with an external or male screw-thread, and on this stem are screwed the clamping-nuts 22, which are adapted to be adjusted for engagement with opposite faces of the knife-frame 9, whereby the stem is clamped or fastened adjustably to said knifeframe for movement therewith. I prefer to employ two of these roller-shoes and their stems, said parts being disposed near opposite sides of the knife-frame, as represented by Figs. 1 and 2, and the rollers being presented for engagement with the track-surface 16. It is evident that the stems may be adjusted endwise through the knife-frame i-n order to bring the knife-edge closer to or farther from the end face of the meat-trough, and these stems are secured rigidly or immovably in their adjusted positions by the employment of the clamping-nuts. The described construction provides means whereby the knifeframe and the knife thereon may:be adjusted away from the vertical end frame or plate 6 of the machine in order to prevent the offset keen edge of the knife-blade from rubbing or wearing' against any part of the frame, and while I prefer to employ the described construction it is evident that the spirit of the invention may be carried out by other forms of shoes and track-surfaces, so that it will be understood that I do not intend to strictly confine myself to the specific embodiment of means herein disclosed.

In connection with the swingingknife-frame I employ the usual means for adjusting the knife-frame toward the end frame, said inwardly-adjusting means thus cooperating with the outwardly-adjListing means just described in order to secure nicety of adjustment of the frame and the knife-blade and to make the knife-frame swing in a true parallel path relative to the end face of the bed or trough and to the end frame 6. The knife-frame is provided near its upper part with a recessed arcuate track 23, which is preferably cast in one piece with the frame and is concentric with the axis of vibration of said frame. IV ith this track engages the lower extremity of a setting-arm 24, that is applied laterally to the upstanding post 7 of the end frame 6. This setting-plate is fastened adjustably to the post 7 by means of a set-screw Qishown by Fig. 7,) and said setting-plate is adapted to have lateral movement on the post 7 in order that the settingscrew may draw the plate inwardly toward the post and correspondingly adjust the knifeframe.

The end frame or face-plate 6 of the machine is provided with an opening 25, two of the sides of which correspond to the inclination of the sides of the trough-shaped. bed 5. The wall 26 of the opening is on the opposite side of the machine from the vertical plane of the pivotal bolt 8, and against this wall is adapted to be laid one side of the charge of meat which is to be cut by the slicing' opera- IOO IOS

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" teasers er tion of the knife on the swinging frame 9. inlaid wall 26 of the end `frame 6 is provided with a series of grooves or channels 27, which are inclined inwardly and upwardly, so as to produce a series of teeth or shoulders 28. The meat is forced into these channels for engagement with the shoulders or teeth by the force of the stroke of the knife, and while the meat can be fed forward it is etfectually prevented from slipping or sliding in an upward or sidewise direction. A This provides a very simple and inexpensive construction for preventing' displacement of the meat on the bed at the end` where the meat is cut by the action of the knife, and practical experience has shown that the toothed surface minimizes displacement of the meat under the stroke of the knife.

lt is customary in machines of this class to provide the end frame (5 with a metallic bumper 29, which is preferably cast in one piece with the frame, and this bumper is arranged in the path of a stop 3i), which is cast in one piece with the swinging' knife-frame, so that the stop will impinge the buffer and limit the movement of the knife-frame when it is swungl in the direction for making the knife slice the meat. To reduce the shock on the machine, li provide the bumper Q9 with a rubber cushion or buffer Si, and to ease the jar and vibration on the hand, wrist, and arm of the operator I also cq uip the stop 3() on the swinging knife-frame with a yieldable buffer 32. The buffers 31 32 are secured firmly tothe bumper and the stop on the end frame and knifeframe, respectively, by any suitable means, and these buffers are disposed in opposing or facing' relation, so that the buffer 32 of the li'nife-frame will engage with the buiier 3l of the end iframe when the knifel'rame reaches the limit of its inward movement, whereby the movement of the knife- 'frame in one direction is positively arrested and the shock is minimized on the machine and on the wrist and arm of the operator.

As is usual in machines of this class, the feed-screw 10 is engaged by a feed -nut 33, which is adapted to be advanced progressively in a forward direction by the slow motion given to the 'feed-screw by the action of the pawlandratchet feed mechanism. Instead of equipping the machine with a follower which fits down into the trough of the bed in a way to conform to the inclined sides of said bed ,I employ a slidable cross-head, which is supported at one end by afeed-nut 323 and is fitted slidably on the other side of the bed from that side on which the feed-screw and feed-nut are arranged. This cross-head 34C is arranged in a horizontal position at the upper open side of the bed in order to span the trough therein, and one end of the cross-head is lianged at 35 andassembled. into engagement with the feednut 33, said flanged end of the cross-head being secured firmly to the feed-nut.

',ihe bed 5 is provided with an enlarged bead will) Bti, which is curved in cross-section and arranged to extend longitudinally of the bed, said bead forming a track-surface with which isengaged a hookshaped shoe 37, that is formed on or attached to the other 'free end por-` tion of the cross-head 34. The bead or track surface 36 terminates at one end short of the rear part of the bed, which is formed with a notch 38, said notch accommodating the shoe `37 when the cross-head is placed on the bed,

so that the shoe will readily slip into engagement with the bead or track 236 in the operation of starting the machine. The described construction for suppm'ting the cross-head on the feed-nut and making' it slidably lit on the track-bead of the bed prevents the cross-head from lifting' up should the meat become crowded in the front part of the trough. .in the use of ordinary meat-cutters of this class it is customary `for the operator to press the follower downwardly with one hand; but the operator sometimes permits the follower to rise and then topress it down suddenly, which causes the meat to advance too far, thus resulting in the cutting of quite a thick slice of meat. Wy construction overcomes this objection, because the cross-head is held in its proper place and cannot be lifted during the operation of feeding the meat toward the knife.

Another improvement which l have made consists in the provision of an improvial meausffor adjustably clamping a claw to the cross-head. Said claw is indicated at 39 in Figs. 1 and 6, and at one end said claw has a plate a0, which is provided with a series of teeth or prongs ai. The claw is also provided with a shank 4t2, which passes freely through an opening 43, which is formed in the front side of a cup-shaped member M of a two-part clamp. This member est secured firmly to the cross-head 3st in any suitable way, and it projects or extends upwardly 'from said cross-head. The cup is provided with an internal or 'female thread 45, and it is adapted to receive the ball-shz'tped end 46, which is made fast with the clamp i2 in any suitable way-such, for example, as by a screw-joint between the shank of the claw and the head a6. The other member, 4J, of the clamp is in the form of a plug or disk having' an external or male thread and adapted to be screwed into the female-threaded cup-shaped member dei of the clamp. This removable member a7 of the clamp is provided on its under face with a curved cavity 48, and this member' is adapted to cooperate with the member 4ta in firmly clamping the head @L6 of the claw in the desired adjusted position within said clamp. rThe removable clamp member 47 is provided with a transverse pin a9, which aii'ordsa goed hold 'for the operator in manipulating the clamp. By reference to Figs. 4t and 6 of the drawings it will be seen that the diameter of the claw-stem 4Q is much smaller than the diameter of the opening in the cup-shaped IOO IOS

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member of the clamp. This construction allows the claw to be adjusted to a number of diferent positions for the purpose of eng'aging with different-sized cliai'g'es of meat, and the claw is thus adapted to be held firmly in its adjusted position on the cross-head and to move in a foi'ward direction therewith, so as to advance the meat to the knife.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A meat-cutter having an end frame, a bed carried thereby, a swinging knife-frame pivoted to thel end frame, means cooperating with the knife-frame and the end frame for adjusting' said knife-frame toward the bed, a stationai'y ai'cuate ti'ack on the end frame, horizontal spindles fastened adjustably in the knife-fi'ame, and roller-shoes mounted on the spindles and riding on the track, said spindles being adjustable in the knife-frame toward the track and tending to move the knife-frame in an opposite direction to the adjustment given thereto by the first-named adjusting means.

2. -A meat-cutter having' an end frame, a bed carried thereby, a swinging knife-frame pivoted to the end frame, means cooperating' with the end frame and the knife-frame for positively adjusting said knife-frame towai'd the bed, and adjusting means for regulating' the knife-frame in its swinging movement relative to the bed and for moving' the knifeframe away fi'om the bed, said adjusting means including a stationary arcuate track on the end frame, threaded spindles mounted in theknife-fi'ame in parallel relation to the aXis of movement tliei'eof, and rolling shoes cai'- ried by the spindles and riding on the track, said spindles and shoes being' adjustable for moving the knife-frame in an opposite direction to the adjustment given thereto by the first-named adjusting' devices.

3. A meatcuttei' comprising a troughshaped bed having' inclined sides, an end frame having' an opening' coincident with an open end of the bed, one ofV the inclined sides of said opening' being provided with a plurality of grooves which produce a plurality of teeth which are inclined upwardly and outwardly with respect to the bottom of the frame, a

swinging' knife-frame pivoted on the end frame on the opposite side from the toothed surface ofthe opening therein, means for feeding' a cliarg'e of material along' the toothed face of the end plate or frame, and means for pressing the charge toward said toothed face.

a. In a meat-cutter, the combination with an end frame, a bed cai'ried thereby, a single feedsci'ew, and a nut, of a knife-fi'ame pivoted to the end frame, a concave knife carried by the knife-frame, means for holding' the edge of the knife away from the edg'e of the bed, a cross-head spanning the bed and supported at one end bythe nut, the other' end of said ci'osshead i'esting' on and having' interlocking and slidable engagement with the bed and held thereon against a tendency to lift upwardly therefrom, said feed-screw constituting iiieans for causing said cross-head to travel lengthwise of the bed, and a claw cari'ied by the cross-head.

In a meat-cutter, the combination with an end frame, a bed carried thereby, a feed-screw and a nut, of a knife-frame pivoted to the end frame, a concave knife cai'i'ied by the knifeframe, means for holding' the edge of the knife away from the edg'e of the bed, a cross-head spanning the bed and supported at one end by the nut, the other end of said cross-head resting' on and having' interlocking and sliding engagement with the bed and held thereon against a tendency to be lifted therefrom; said feedscrew constituting means for causing said cross-head to travel lengthwise of the bed.

6. In a meat-cutter, the combination with a beth-and a cross-head, of a threaded cup attached to said cross-head and having an'opening in one side, a disk screwed on said cup, and a claw having' a head coniined between the cup and the disk.

7. In a meat-cutter, the combination of an end frame, a bed carried thereby and provided on one side with a track-surface, a knife-frame pivoted to the end frame, a concave knife cari'ied bythe knife-frame, means for holding the edge of the knife away from the edge of the bed, afeed-screw, a feed-nut, and a cross-head supported at one end by the feed-nut, at the other end by the track, and provided at said other end with means for restraining the crossliead against lifting, compiising' a projection having interlocking engagement with said track-surface, said end of the cross-head being free to travel lengthwise of the track-surface.

8. In a meat-cutter, the combination of a bed having' a track-bead on one side, a feedscrew, a nut on said feed-screw, a ci'oss-liead provided with means for preventing the crosshead fi'oin being lifted out of position on the bed, said means comprising a hook extending over and slidably fitting' the track-bead of the bed, and an adjustable claw cari'ied by said ci'oss-head.

9. In ameat-cutter, the combination with an end frame, a bed carried thereby, and a ci'osshead, of a knifefi'aine pivoted to the end frame, a concave knife cari'ied by the knifefi'ame, means for holding the edge of the knife away from the edge of the bed, a threaded cup attached to said cross-head and having an opening in one side, a disk screwed on said cup, and a claw having a head confined between the cup and the disk.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the pi'esence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED IV. JOHNSON.

vVitnessesz IVILLIAM H. BENNETT, CHARLES W. LARAsoN.

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